


Roses Are Red

by sallyamongpoison



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Danse is very sweet, M/M, SS appreciates it, Sexual Content, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 10:25:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6002386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sallyamongpoison/pseuds/sallyamongpoison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Holden contemplates Valentine's Day throughout his life Before, and Danse helps him to realize what it could be like after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Roses Are Red

Once upon a time Valentine’s Day had meant little paper cards with cartoon characters on them and tasteless candy hearts with things like ‘Be Mine’ and ‘Hot Stuff’ written on them. Holden had always hated them, and was convinced for years that the box in his grandmother’s candy dish was the same ones for almost two decades. When he got older it meant boxes of cheap chocolate and dinner reservations that were inevitably lacking. Nothing was ever romantic or special enough. It was a holiday meant for lovers, but Holden had never heard a story where someone’s date night was anything better than “eh, it was alright.” **  
**

Holden hadn’t had a ‘valentine’ since he was probably ten years old. Those were back in the days of bringing cupcakes to the class and that the person you had a crush on got the ‘best’ card in the package of thirty or whatever. As he got older and his _preferences_ started to show up more and more he’d learned to keep his crushes secret and to just shrug off questions about plans. He never had any. He couldn’t. Then came the military and there was no way he could let anyone know. So he’d never really had a valentine. Not unless he bought the chocolate the day after because it was half off at the store for himself.

He’d treated Angie, though. He’d bought her a little gold bracelet after they got married that had her name and a heart on it. She’d cried, hugged him tightly, and told him that she never expected someone so nice from him. His gift had been an amazing meal, which was all he’d ever really wanted, and a big hug. Angie was great at giving good hugs. It was why he’d loved her as much as he had, and why he’d agreed to their…situation. She cared for him, loved him more than anyone else had, and Holden was content with that. Plus, it was nice to have someone tease him with wheedling questions of ‘can I be your valentine this year?’ because he’d never been asked that before.

Now it was all gone. In some sick twist of fate, it was Halloween decorations that hung up in some of the still-standing homes and businesses from Before. They stayed up because no one bothered to take them down, now centuries later, and it seemed to be the only holiday that anyone ever celebrated. For Holden, though, he’d only been away from it for a year. It made him miss Angie. He missed…well, he could have used that hug right about now.

Paper hearts and pink and red sprinkles wouldn’t have gone astray. A tray full of cupcakes from the Wive’s Club wouldn’t have gone astray either. Then again, Valentine’s Day was supposed to be a celebration of love, and Holden…Holden had loved Angie more than he’d loved anyone, but she was gone. His left hand clenched until his felt his blood pumping against the wedding ring he still wore. Angie made great cupcakes. Angie gave really good hugs.

He needed not to think about it.

A knock on the door of his room made him lift his head, from where Dogmeat was curled up at the end of his little single bed one ear perked up, and Holden got up to answer it. On the other side was Danse holding a plate that was steaming in one hand and a bottle of something cold in the other. Holden blinked once, then took a couple of awkward steps backward to let the other man in. Danse was smiling, which suited him far too much, and it slowly spread to Holden’s face as well.

“You didn’t come for dinner,” Danse commented as he held out the plate and bottle, “I thought you might want something.”

Something fluttered in Holden’s chest and he smiled, “I…yeah,” he answered, “did you eat?”

“Earlier,” Danse agreed with a nod, then moved to take a seat in one of the soft chairs that sat opposite Holden’s bed. There were two of those chairs with a small table between them that had a chessboard on top. They played sometimes, the two of them, and it was nice.

Holden took the other chair and dug in: radstag steak and tatos mashed up with milk powder and clean water. It wasn’t quite the same as something he might have had Before, but it really was good. Whoever cooked, he assumed Preston or maybe Codsworth, had done a good job. It helped his mood, as did the company. Danse was always welcome, more welcome than he probably realized, and it helped that cloud lift a little.

“Roses are red, violets are blue,” Danse mumbled, which made Holden look up from his plate.

Dogmeat had gotten up the minute the other man had come in and was currently nosing between them both with his tail wagging. Danse mussed his ears, then looked back up at Holden with a smile. It was a nice picture, actually, and one Holden had thought about a lot. “Those poems still a thing?” Holden asked, “it’s what you used to write on cards in my day.”

When the food was gone and the beer had been finished, both men sat together with Dogmeat still tussling between them. It was quiet and nice and Holden couldn’t help the easy smile that settled on his features. He could forget the day like this, even though on his PipBoy there were little hearts and everything. It was just another day, another night with good company and a full stomach, and that was good enough.

Then there were lips on his. There was stubble and softness and warmth and arms around him. Holden sighed into it, leaned upward and clasped his arm around strong shoulders. They’d done this before, and it was always good. Danse was always good. Danse was a warm presence like Holden hadn’t expected to find since he woke up in the Vault. Danse made his heart thump and his blood warm and when he kissed him it made his body wake up like it hadn’t in a long time.

They fell onto the bed in a tangle of limbs and lips and clothes being pulled off of thick, muscled frames. Holden wanted it, wanted _Danse_ , and happily accepted the attention. They’d been quiet and awkward at first, with little glances and more closeness, but it had steadily moved toward something else. It was present in the way they looked at and spoke to one another. Danse had told him on a few occasions that their friendship, and whatever else it was, gave him hope. It gave him something _good_ when the Brotherhood had taken a lot away. Holden wanted to be that something good. He wanted to be good for someone, for as many people as he could, but he really wanted to be good for Danse.

In the warmth of each other, hours later, Danse nuzzled into Holden’s neck and bit at his pulse. It made heat spike through him again despite how tired he’d been moments ago. Holden held him closer, curled in as much as he could, and buried his face in soft, thick hair. The smell of sex and sweat clung to them, but he didn’t even care. His body and mind were warm and happy and sated, and he didn’t want Danse to go. He wanted him to stay with him until morning.

Against his ear in that rough voice he heard it, though it wasn’t nearly as sing-song as Holden remembered: “Roses are red, violets are blue,” Danse murmured before they kissed again, “be my Valentine so I can stay with you.”

It was ridiculous, especially in Danse’s rumbling voice. Holden couldn’t help but laugh, which was silenced by another kiss, and they tangled together again. He could handle that. It was so ridiculous to think that he’d be an ex-Brotherhood of Steel’s Valentine, but he was. Apparently.

Roses were red, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on tumblr! @sallyamongpoison


End file.
